


beard

by Flavortext



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: I wrote this with a sinus infection so, Its not good, Other, but im just thinking about kissing a boy w a beard rn, from that tumblr post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-05 00:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14605485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flavortext/pseuds/Flavortext
Summary: The only word Molly can think of to describe him is scruffy, with his beard and tangled hair, but it’s so endearing and pulley at Molly’s heart, some half-formed thought of how this is what Caleb might look like in the mornings, still asleep, naked in Molly’s bed- and he stops himself there, because Caleb is talking again, and hopefully doesn’t notice the red creeping across Molly’s cheeks.





	beard

It starts off innocent enough. Finals are coming up, and Caleb throws himself deeper than usual into studying. Molly is used to this, Caleb spending all day in his room with his nose in a book, but now it takes all he can do to get him to come out if only to eat. He enlists Nott, who is able to convince him to emerge for meals, and Molly strikes a deal that if Caleb showers he’ll take him to the bookstore and get him anything he wants once the tests are through. 

What ruins it is that Caleb stops shaving. He usually maintains a slightly scruffy stubble, but now he lets it grow into a ginger-brown tangle. Molly just about dies. 

He’s gone on tour for a long weekend with Yasha and the rest of the circus and comes home close to 1 am. All he wants is a long bath and the comfort of his own bed, and for once he’s glad that Caleb has been keeping to his room, he’s really too tired for social interactions. 

However, as Molly sets his duffel bag down by the door and kicks off his boots, the light in the kitchen flickers, casting its electric off-white glow into the front hall. And then there’s Caleb, standing in the doorway with a bowl of soup, hair a mess and beard fluffy, with a sleepy half-smile on his face. 

“Welcome home.” He says, and he sounds hoarse like he hasn’t talked in days. Molly sighs, half in relief and love for his friend, half in pure exhaustion. Caleb seems to pick up on that, and he knows Molly well enough to know that talking sometimes is beyond him. Molly is staring at his feet, listening to Caleb shuffle around the kitchen in his socks, probably putting down the soup. The hall light flicks on, then there’s a soft hand on his shoulder. Molly glances up at Caleb as he’s led gently towards his own room. In the light now, Caleb looks beautiful. Unkempt and scruffy, sure, but handsome nonetheless. On a normal day Caleb takes Molly’s breath away, it’s been a quiet thing stirring in his heart for months now, and beards wouldn’t normally even be his _ thing _ , but on Caleb apparently, they are, very much so. 

Molly’s aware of his hands gripping Caleb’s side to keep himself steady as they enter his room. 

“There you go,” Caleb says softly, easing Molly down onto the bed. His hands linger on Molly’s shoulder. “Are you going to want a bath, or do you need to go right to sleep?” Molly’s heart flutters, Caleb knows him so well. 

“Sleep.” He mutters. A bath would be nice, but he doesn’t trust himself not to pass out in the water, and if he says bath Caleb will leave to draw one, and even though the light in his room is off and all he can see is Caleb’s dim silhouette framed against the hall, he doesn’t want to let this sight go. 

Caleb smiles, tucks some hair out of Molly’s face, and pats him on the cheek. 

“I’ll let you rest then. Goodnight, Mollymauk.” Molly makes a little noise of protest, but it’s half-hearted, he’s so tired, and Caleb takes it just as him needing sleep. There's another soft smile behind that beard, and Caleb turns and leaves, the hall light flicking off a moment later. Molly just manages to pull a few blankets over himself before his eyes close. His last thought is how that beard would feel against his lips. 

 

The next few days feel like a personalized Mollymauk hell. Caleb seems to be coming out of his study-mode, having finished a complete re-read of two textbooks. He eats meals in the kitchen without being bribed or coaxed, and Molly even comes home to see him lounging on the couch with Frumpkin, lazily watching some history show on TV. Caleb has his head in one hand, the other scratching the cat’s head. Molly drops off his bag and saunters into the room. 

“How’s it going?” He asks, slinging his legs over the side of the armchair next to the couch and leaning towards Caleb. The man blinks, eyes focusing and turning his head slightly in acknowledgment. 

“If I fail these tests, will you still let me stay here?” Caleb says after a moment. His voice is quiet, timid. Molly feels his breath catch. He’s on his knees next to the couch in a heartbeat. 

“Caleb,” He grabs his friend’s hand, forcing him to lift his head and meet Molly’s eyes. “Love,” Molly starts, if only Caleb knew how much he meant that word, “you will always have a place here. With me, with the  _ Nien _ ,” He evokes the silly name they’d made for their friend group, “You’re family, we don’t care about your test scores. We’re proud enough of you as it is.”

Molly squeezes Caleb’s hands. He doesn’t truly know the details of Caleb’s past, why he pushes himself so far past his limits to learn and be the best at everything. He’s mentioned a few times almost accidentally that he needs to make his parent’s proud, but no one had ever pushed him for details. They were family now, they didn’t need to know everyone’s pasts.  

Caleb is crying, a few tears making their way down his cheeks and getting lost in the hair there. Molly resists the urge to wipe them away, settles instead for a kiss on the forehead, pulling Caleb into his chest. After a moment of stiffness, Caleb lets out a shaky breath and wraps his arms around Molly’s middle. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but Molly holds Caleb there until he feels his breath steady and the hands on his back relax a bit. When he slowly pulls away Caleb is smiling. 

“I’ve been distant,” Caleb says. Molly nods a little, sitting back on his heels. Caleb pauses, still collecting himself. The only word Molly can think of to describe him is  _ scruffy _ , with his beard and tangled hair, but it’s so endearing and pulley at Molly’s heart, some half-formed thought of how this is what Caleb might look like in the mornings, still asleep, naked in Molly’s bed- and he stops himself there, because Caleb is talking again, and hopefully doesn’t notice the red creeping across Molly’s cheeks. 

“-I just need someone I can bounce ideas off of, work out some of these practice questions so I’m really prepared, can you do that?” He asks. Molly bites his lip. He loves to listen to Caleb talk about his school stuff, it mostly goes straight over his head, but Caleb get’s so excited and animated and adorable, so Molly agrees. That earns him another hug, this one with Caleb’s chin over his shoulder, and he can feel his beard tickling him there, and it sends a shiver down his spine. 

 

The tests come and go too quickly. They all go out for drinks, Beau and Caleb and Fjord exhausted from all-nighters and the tests themselves. Molly gets himself into a competition with Nott, which never ends well but it distracts him from Caleb’s new anxious habit of running a hand through his hair and tugging at his beard, and his brain keeps suggesting that he whisk Caleb out of here, under the ruse of saving him from the social anxiety, and kiss him stupid in the alley behind the bar. 

Nott wins, only because Yasha physically takes the next drink out of Molly’s hand. Molly protests, but Caleb puts a hand on his shoulder and that immediately quiets him, because he’s so  _ handsome _ and Molly just wants to tell him, because how could Caleb not feel something back, when he’s pressed into Molly’s side and his hand absently trails down to the middle of Molly’s back. Molly leans in, rests his head on Caleb’s shoulder, and when he doesn’t feel the man pull away, he lets himself unfocus, grounded only by the fabric against his cheek and the laughter of his friend's voices. It feels like hours later when there’s movement under him, and the hand on his back goes down to his waist and hoists him back to a sitting position. 

“C’mon, Molly. Time to go home.” Caleb sounds drunk himself, but his hands are steady and between him and Yasha they get Molly up. Caleb keeps his hand on Molly’s back though, and the walk back to their apartment is short. 

The girls split off to their own homes, and Fjord to his house a few blocks away. That leaves Caleb fumbling for his keys as Molly stays draped over his shoulder. They get inside somehow, and Molly regretfully pulls away from Caleb to attempt to get himself some water in the kitchen. When he turns with his cup in hand, Caleb is leaning in the doorway. 

“I’m thinking of shaving this off.” Caleb motions at his beard. Molly nearly drops his glass, and is aware of the “No!” he yelps out as if it came from far away. Caleb raises an eyebrow. 

“I mean, no, I like it. It’s up to you. I like you either way.” Molly leaves his glass on the counter taking a step towards Caleb before stopping himself. 

“Really?” Caleb tilts his head slightly. “Should I grow it out more?” He’s smiling under there, and the sight makes Molly nearly lose his breath. 

“ _ No _ ,” Molly knows he’s talking without any filter, but he wants Caleb to get it, to see how Molly stares at him, how every touch sends sparks through his body, how his brain filters everything out besides  _ Caleb _ and Molly just wants Caleb to  _ know _ . “You can’t do that.’ Molly takes another breathless step. 

“Why?” Caleb seems genuinely curious, innocently looking up at Molly. Molly rubs his temple.  _ Here goes nothing. _

“Because you’re driving me fucking insane, before all this you were the hottest man I’d ever known, now you're...” Molly trails off, taking a breath. Caleb’s face hardly reacts. “All I can think about is how you’d feel kissing me.” Molly closes his eyes, enough in his senses to know he just broke a thousand boundaries and a wave of fear hits him so hard he nearly falls backward, but there’s a hand on his arm that stops him. 

“Mollymauk...” Caleb is close, Molly keeps his eyes shut tight, he doesn’t want to see disappointment, betrayal. “That’s the whole fucking point.” Caleb is nearly laughing, and Molly opens his eyes a little to see him, inches away, 

“Oh.” Molly can’t manage much more than that. Caleb smiles. 

“I’m not going to kiss you.” There's a sudden drop of cold ice into Molly’s stomach.

“We’re both far too drunk and I want this,” Caleb puts a hand on Molly’s chest. “To work out.” Molly makes a little stunned noise, pressing forward into Caleb’s space and dropping his head to the man’s shoulder. Caleb chuckles again, say some words in a language Molly doesn’t know, but they’re soft and warm the cold inside of him. 

“How long did you know,” Molly says after a minute of just standing there. 

“A few months, especially when I started isolating. You took such good care of me.” Molly can feel Caleb smiling, the twitch of the hairs against his cheek. 

“You did this on purpose?” Molly asks. 

“No, no. I wasn’t taking very good care of myself. But Nott caught onto you- told me how you couldn’t take your eyes off me- more than usual even.” Caleb puts a hand on Molly’s shoulder and pushes him back so their eyes meet. “I wanted to see what would tip you over the edge.” It’s Molly’s turn to laugh, because that’s Caleb, taking calculated risks, treating things like a puzzle. 

“I’m going to cancel my plans tomorrow.” Molly shakes the drunkenness from his head a bit, hand’s finding purchase on Caleb’s arms and chest. “And we’re going to take full advantage of  _ this _ ,” A hand goes up to cup Caleb’s cheek, fingers tangling in his beard. Molly tries to wiggle his eyebrows but feels it mostly absorbed by the genuine joyful smile on his face. Caleb leans into the touch. 

“One day, then I shave it because really this is driving me crazy, I need my old face back.” Molly accepts that.

**Author's Note:**

> I kept this Safe For Work bc I decided its weird to write porn as a gift to a friend....still there WILL be a chapter 2..... ;)


End file.
